Distributor breaker mechanism



A ril 17, 1956 Filed Aug. 6, 1953 E. M. CORY DISTRIBUTOR BREAKER MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 1956 E. M. CORY 2,742,539

DISTRIBUTOR BREAKER MECHANISM Filed Aug. 6, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

United States Patent DISTRIBUTOR BREAKER MECHANISM Elmer M. Cory, Royal Oak, Mich.

Application August 6, 1953, Serial No. 372,699

Claims. (Cl. 20031) My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a distributor breaker mechanism used on automobile ignitions. In such ignition systems there is provided a rotatable shaft carrying a plurality of cams on a rotating shaft on which engages a rubbing block mounted on a swingable arm which carries a contact so that as the rubbing block travels over the lobe of the camthe circuit is broken and immediately made after the rubbing block rides off the cam. This swingable arm carries a contact which alternately engages and disengages a stationary contact. When the mechanism is originally installed, there is a predetermined gap between the contacts upon the rubbing block riding over the cam. After prolonged use of the mechanism, the rubbing block wears so that the gap between the contacts becomes less. When this gap diminishes to a predeterm-ined distance, it is necessary to adjust the breaker mechanism to restore the original gap.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism of this class so that the gap between the contacts will remain constant regardless of the wear of the rubbing block which rides over the cam.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a contact carrying arm having a rubbing block engaging the smooth periphery of the shaft on which the cam is mounted and of such consistency that this rubbing block, riding over the smooth surface, will wear to the same extent as does the rubbing block riding over the cam, so that the gap between the contacts will remain constant.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of this class which will be simple in structure, economical of manufacture, durable, compact, and highly efficient in use and self-adjusting.

It is recognized that various modifications and changes may be made in the detail of structure illustrated without departing from the invention and it is intended that the present disclosure shall be considered to be but the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Forming a part of this application are drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a distributor showing the invention installed.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the distributor shaft.

Fig. 3 is a prospective view of one of the arms used in the invention.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the arm shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the arm shown in Fig. 4 and illustrating the cooperating arm.

Fig. 6 is a view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a modified arm used in the invention.

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the arm shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the arm shown in Fig. 7 showing the cooperating arm.

' selection of a proper material from which the Fig. 10 is an elevational view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the structure shown in Fig. 10.

In the drawings I have shown a distributor housing 17 in which is positioned a condenser 18. Extending into this housing 17 is the rotatable shaft 19 carrying the earn 2% A swingable arm 21 carries a contact 22 and a rubbing block 23 which is adapted to engage a periphery of the cam 20. A spring 24 is used to maintain this rubbing block 23 in engagement with the cam 20.

.A cooperating arm, embodying the spaced-apart portions 25 and 26, through which are formed the openings 31a, is rockably mounted on the pin or shaft 27 on which the arm 21 is also mounted. These arms 25 and 26 carry a contact 28 and also carry the spacedapart rubbing blocks 29 and 30. These rubbing blocks 29 and 30 engage the circular surfaces 32 and 31 of the rotating shaft 19 and these rubbing blocks are held in contact with this surface by means of a spring 71.

The construction is such that the rubbing blocks 29 and 30 riding on the smooth circular surfaces 31 and 32 will wear to the same extent as the rubbing block 23 which rides on the cam 29. The Wear on the rubbing block 23 will, of course, be greater than the wear on the rubbing blocks 29 and 3t) and in order to have these rubbing blocks wear evenly it will be necessary that the rubbing block 23 will be more wear resistant than the rubbing blocks 29 and 34). This naturally involves the rubbing blocks will be made.

Consequently, when the mechanism is installed the structure is such that the rubbing block 23 riding over a lobe of the cam 20, the predetermined gap between the contacts 22 and 28 will be formed. Since the wear on the rubbing block 23 and on the blocks 29 and 39 is equal, this gap will remain constant regardless of the wear on these rubbing blocks. The result is that a constant gap between the contacts 22 and 23 is maintained resulting in a more efiicient operation of the distributor mechanism.

In Figs. 7 to 11 I have shown a slight modification. Instead of arms 25 and 26 each carrying a rubbing block 29 and 30, I have provided an arm 34 which carries a contact 35 mounted on a lug 41. This arm 34 is provided with a rubbing block 36 which bears on the smooth circular surface 37 of the shaft 19a. This shaft 19a corresponds with the shaft 19 shown in Fig. 1. This shaft carries a cam 40 which is engaged by the rubbing block 39 carried by an arm 42. These arms are mounted as are the arms in Fig. l and spring pressed so that the rubbing blocks 36 and 39 will engage the rotating parts. In this structure again the rubbing blocks 39 and 36 are formed of such material so that equal wear will take place on these rubbing blocks and a constant gap will be maintained between the contacts.

What I claim is:

1. In a distributor breaker mechanism, a rotatable shaft; a cam mounted on said shaft and rotatable therewith; a rockable contact arm; a rubbing block on said arm riding over said cam, said cam effecting a wearing on said rubbing block; a second rockable arm; a rubbing block on said second arm engaging said shaft at either side of said cam and riding over the smooth periphery of said shaft upon rotation of said shaft, the engagement of said smooth periphery with said rubbing block effecting a wearing on the same equal to the wearing on the rubbing block by said cam; and a pair of contacts, each carried by one of said arms and engageable with each other.

2. In a distributor mechanism a rotatable shaft; a cam mounted on and rotating in unison with said shaft; a

contact; a wearable rubbing block on said second mentioned arm engageable with the periphery of said shaft at one side of said earn; a spring for normally maintaining said second mentioned rubbing block in engagement with the periphery of said shaft, said shaft effecting a wear on said second mentioned rubbing block equal to the wear effected by said cam on said first mentioned rubbing block for maintaining a constant gap between said contacts.

3. In a distributor breaker mechanism of the class described, a rotatable shaft; a cam mounted on and rotating in unison with said shaft; a rockable breaker arm; a rubbing block mounted on said arm for engaging said cam; a spring for normally maintaining said arm rocked to a position for maintaining contact between said cam and said rubbing block; an electric contact carried by said arm; a second rockable arm; a rubbing block on said second arm engageable with the periphery of said shaft at one side of said cam; a spring for normally maintaining said second arm rocked to a position for maintaining said second rubbing block in engagement with said shaft; and a contact mounted on said second arm and engageable with the contact on said first arm upon riding said first named rubbing block off of the lobe of said cam.

4. In a distributor breaker mechanism of the class described, a rotatable shaft; a cam mounted on and rotatablein unison with said shaft; a rockable breaker arm; a rub- 3 bing block on said breaker arm engageable with sand cam; a spring normally maintaining said rubbing block in engagement with said cam; an electric contact carried by said arm; a second rockable member; a pair of rubbing blocks carried by said member engaging the periphery of said shaft at opposite sides of said cam; a spring normally maintaining said pair of rubbing blocks in engagement with said shaft; a contact on said second arm engageable with said first mentioned contact, the wear on said rubbing blocks being equal for normally maintaining a constant gap between said contacts upon riding of said first named rubbing block over a lobe of said cam.

5. In a distributor breaker mechanism, a rotatable shaft, a cam provided with a plurality of lobes mounted on said shaft and rotatable therewith; a peripheral hearing area on said shaft; a stationary shaft; a breaker arm rockably mounted on said stationary shaft; a rubbing block on said arm for engaging said cam; a spring for normally retaining said arm in a position for maintaining contact between said cam and said rubbing block; a contact carried by said arm; a second breaker arm rockably mounted on said stationary shaft; a rubbing block on said second arm for engaging said peripheral bearing area on said rotatable shaft; a spring for normally retaining said second arm in a position for maintaining said second rubbing block in engagement with said peripheral bearing area, and a contact mounted on said second arm and engageable with the contact on said first arm upon said first named rubbing block riding ofi of a lobe of said cam.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,150,206 Crocker Mar. 14, 1939 2,181,713 Svoboda Nov. 28, 1939 2,402,543 Ford et al. June 25, 1946 

